Zine no7 out now
Links for 1-7 up now
All on Patreon
Mostly details Anglerslund a nasty cult filled island and a few pages of post apoc locations each issue
Hardback books on LuLu soon
Thursday, 31 March 2022
Zines on Patreon
Wednesday, 30 March 2022
d12 Weird Magic Swords
At zero level wielder can use blades as a magical weapons but not +1
At level 1-4 each blade has these powers
+1 magical blade
+2 vs evil beings (always one extra + above weapons plus)
+3 evil & darkness beings (always one extra + above weapons current plus)
Detect evil & darkness within 10 range from feelings of danger from the sword
Users get funny feelings from the weapon
5-8th Lv user may speak telepathicly directly to user advising them, glow as lantern at will
9-12th Lv weapon speaks as any character and knows d4+1 languages
13-16th Lv weapon leap range 3, into users hand or as it wills, Dance round/Lv once per day
17-20th Lv weapon teleports into users hand at will
The blades have been known to change type in different ages as if they like to keep up but others like the more ancient styles by default (change style once per month)
The elder lore of each item is some serious personality interest the sword won't shut up about once they think you are worthy to speak to.
d12 Swords of the second Dawn
1 Koronryn the stone sword
2 Aregnor the obsidian sword
3 Mikka the copper sword
4 Vagfenroc the brazen sword
5 Ollus the iron sword
6 Cyrion the silver sword
7 Bloraddon the blood sword
8 Ouranos the wooden sword
1 Koronryn the stone sword the blade of the bastion
Killed the last evil titan in the mortal world then fell into a crack from dead heroes hand
At level 5-8 the sword is +2 add d8 extra HP reroll each day, immune to slow spells
At level 8-12 the sword is +3 the weilder is immune to petrification
At level 13-16 the sword is +4 the weilder is immune to poison & paralasys
At level 17-20 the sword is +5 summon a 16HD elemental ten minutes once a day
Secret Lore: encourages user to care for land and natural resources
2 Aregnor the obsidian sword the blade of the void
Severed the dark lords link to the void beyond causing his cult from magic
At level 8-12 the sword is +3 first mortal enemy killed per day raises as obedient shadow
At level 13-16 the sword is +4 teleport through any shadow to another within 3 range
At level 17-20 the sword is +5 summon a 16HD vacuum elemental (as an air type) ten minutes once a day
Secret Lore: enjoys killing and violence and massacres
3 Mikka the copper sword the blade of storms
Wielded by the lord of the air when he sealed the dragon spawn pits
At level 8-12 the sword is +3 can levitate at will
At level 13-16 the sword is +4 shoot a 6d6 lightning bolt once every six hours
At level 17-20 the sword is +5 summon a 16HD shock elemental (as fire but electrical damage) ten minutes once a day
Secret Lore: wielder is watched by sky gods who weapon reports to secretly at first
Pierced the eye of the glaring one from beyond and drove back a chaos incursion
At level 5-8 the sword is +2 and causes an extra d3 flame damage and lights as torch
At level 8-12 the sword is +3 can speak to any fire planar or mortal creatures
At level 13-16 the sword is +4 Imune to fire & heat
At level 17-20 the sword is +5 summon a 16HD fire elemental ten minutes once a day
5 Ollus the iron sword the blade of the deathbringer
Used by crusaders against the elder lich lords and their living minions
At level 5-8 the sword is +2 and causes an extra d3 necrotic damage
At level 8-12 the sword is +3 can cast invisibility to undead 3 times a day
At level 13-16 the sword is +4 wielder immune to death spells
At level 17-20 the sword is +5 summon four Xeg-Yi imprisoned by the lords of light ten minutes once a day
Secret Lore: wants to find and kill undead and those who make them
6 Cyrion the silver sword the blade of the dawn star
Used by star spirits to drive off evil stars that allowed the void entry to the world
At level 5-8 the sword is +2 and can make light as lantern and heal extra d6HP a day
At level 8-12 the sword is +3 any struck shapeshifter save or revert to original form
At level 13-16 the sword is +4 can cast invisibility once per ten minute turn
At level 17-20 the sword is +5 summon four Xeg-Ya servants of the lords of light ten minutes once a day
Secret Lore: The spirit of the sword is a star princess who pines for her family
7 Bloraddon the blood sword the thing that should not be
This crimson moving blood sword is a horrific living thing that hungers to kill
At level 8-12 the sword is +3 screams with hunger cast cloak of fear 3 times a day
At level 13-16 the sword is +4 once per round you injure a living creature heal 1HP
At level 17-20 the sword is +5 summon a 20HD meat collosus from the world of Xor for one task, after it wanders off to find own destiny and food
Secret Lore: the blade was taken from the flesh of Xor the living world of flesh and it is always hungry for flesh to bite
8 Ouranos the wooden sword the heart of the forest
At level 5-8 the sword is +2 ignores non magical metal armour
At level 8-12 the sword is +3 gain +1 attack via a d6 arrow as a shortbow per round
At level 13-16 the sword is +4 heal d3 after each fight by sprouting magic herbs
At level 17-20 the sword is +5 turn a large tree into a treeant once per day
At level 5-8 the sword is +2 plus d3 cold damage
At level 8-12 the sword is +3 immune to cold damage and freezing
At level 13-16 the sword is +4 can sleep frozen for any amount of time desired
At level 17-20 the sword is +5 summon a 16HD ice elemental ten minutes once a day
At level 5-8 the sword is +2 -1 damage per dice from blunt or crush attacks
At level 8-12 the sword is +3 half damage from blunt or crush attacks
At level 13-16 the sword is +4 Undead struck save or disintergrated if less HD than user
At level 17-20 the sword is +5 Summon 2 10HD skeleton warriors for ten minutes once a day and each has a +3 sword (all traces vanish after duration)
At level 5-8 the sword is +2 plus d3 sonic damage and can produce light as a lantern
At level 8-12 the sword is +3 sonic blast 3d6 to all in 1 range once per hour (save halves) and user immune to sonic damage
At level 13-16 the sword is +4 cast disintergrate spell once per day
At level 17-20 the sword is +5 summon a 16HD sonic (as air) elemental ten minutes once a day
Secret Lore: Once the sword deems a weilder worthy for it to speak it wont shut up but often sings
Created to destroy the powers of the death templars a fearsome necromantic cult
At level 5-8 the sword is +2 plus d6 holy damage vs undead or evil other planar foes
At level 8-12 the sword is +3 circle of protection from undead for ten minute turn once an hour which manifests as a glow, produce light as a lantern at will
At level 13-16 the sword is +4 weilder does not age, breathe or eat and resists poison and disease
At level 17-20 the sword is +5 summon a light elemental (as fire) ten minutes once a day
Secret Lore: The sword is pretty sure the biggest problems in the world it has thwarted but once convinced some new target is a worthy foe they become fanatic. Very lawful it does not like lies, cheating or tricks much
Friday, 25 March 2022
Post Apoc Chase Tables
In a chase, you could use a map or an abstract approach. Draw a line. Divide the line into segments before the person being chased reaches a target or safe place. You could keep it open based on how successful they are vs obstacles versus pursuing enemies. If the person being chased passes two-ish obstacles ahead they get away. Players might attack a fragile wall blocking a path behind them which might get them away or a hunter could set off the fragile structure with a ranged attack to trap their quarry.
The descriptions are just keywords to inspire you. These should be resolved with a skill or save or stat roll. Some may involve an attack. This doesn't mean the chase ends while they fight. The attacker may or may not pursue the runner or might get into conflict with the hunter.
d12 Apocalypse Chase Table Zones
1 Wasteland Zone - deserts, barren lands
3 Coastal Debris - garbage-strewn shorelines
4 Slime Jungle - mutated jungles and dangerous creatures
5 Rubble Zone - urban ruins of the ancients
6 Market Street - in busy settlements
7 Ag Zone - ancient farmlands
8 Ancient Ruin - old ruined bunkers and structures
9 Intact Complex - functional ancient facilities
10 Forbidden Zone - shunned areas of war damage
11 Battlefield Zone - live active combat area
12 Tunnels - ancient subterranean passages
d12 Desert Wastes
1 Soft sandy dunes
d12 Toxic Swamp
1 Water obstacle
d12 Coastal Debris
8 Moving farm machines
--------------------
bonus table
d12 Automated Defences
1 Minefield
Mines and grenades can be stun, arc, napalm, gas whatever
The point of these is to scare players, keep them moving and stage an exciting cinematic chase scene to blow them to pieces.
Tuesday, 22 March 2022
Post 2000 Revised EMO Space Book
Celebrating Post 2000
A revised version of the book with 30 more pages and the cover I commissioned over 5 years ago is finally on it. You are welcome to share a link to this page (it gives me a better idea of anyone trying to view it than sharing the direct link).
It is a comp of most of my space opera setting projects.
System wise it's a mix of BRP (space cthulhu), D&D Clone (or buck rogers) and Star Frontiers. If I chose a system it would depend on players and time frame. Mothership fans might also enjoy this.
Link Here
I do have some ready to post stuff but my output on this page is probably going to drop off. So ten years ago when I started here I was very excited by the G+ community and the Blogger scene and I got a lot of feedback and contact with creators. It was all very encouraging and I got lots of people sharing my stuff and even incorporated into some crowdsource projects. That climate is dead and gone. I get very little feedback, I have little contact with anyone in the scene and my own games have become harder to launch. Ive release lots of free books and many got zero feedback yet were bootlegged by pay per view sites. There were times the Patreon was only way I could afford any game stuff and I was nomadic and homeless on-off for several years. Currently, I am buying a house and well. Feedback and attention are pretty much the main reason I have been creating besides public work instead of just my own use. I do struggle with motivation a bit so comments and conversation are very much of value and keep this blog and my work going. I'm increasingly spending time looking after animals and interacting with other carers more.
Like lots of scenes I have been in what starts as a community diminishes as people all become professional. People start keeping their cards closer to their chest and keeping their work secrets for future publication and the sharing spirit declines. Once I could read all day and not keep up with blog posts now not so much. I did once hope by giving away freebies people would notice me more or offer me work but I think that has failed. I fully aware editing is my biggest weakness and I have had some great help but it has not been sustainable. 2021 writing was my main income.
My Patreon will continue with at least a zine or two a month and regular compilation books. I don't promise deadlines on books now as it's too stressful and they always have time blowouts. I just keep making zines and books as long as my Patreon subscribers support it. I have immediate plans to put Planet Psychon, Shadelport and the Space book on LuLu shortly as hardbacks. I hope to publish some old revised work monthly as of new financial year and see how that goes. I will send some review copies out too which will be easier with international POD.
Gaming has been sparse and after a fight with one of my oldest players, It might be sparser. I might try playing some dnd5 as I'm enjoying the newer content more and need new friends and practice being a less horrible player. We almost got an online game going during a covid attack but it didn't last. At least it's stuck in my memory better. For some crazy reason, I keep thinking I would like to run star frontiers online. Hopefully next try It sticks better. Ideally, the space book will be revised as a companion for my homebrew system one day but these projects keep going further back all the time.
A big thanks to all my readers, commenters and financial supporters.
It helps lots that I'm not just screaming into the void pointlessly.
It's been a wild ride. Let's see what I get up to next.
Added later: was told this post is such a bummer someone didn't want to share it
Saturday, 12 March 2022
Fantasy Chase Obstacle Tables (Post 1999)
Karl the Viking Comics in print again
This is post 1999
I will try to do something for no 2000
But For now this
I break chases into segments and have both sides roll vs obstacles to work out who catches who. One of these per segment is good. If they go too long make fatigue saves. I have a flee skill in my game that wizards love.
d12 Fantasy Chase Table Zones
2 Rooftops
3 Docks
4 Sewer
5 Forest
6 Beach
7 Mountains
8 Desert
9 Cave
10 Volcano
11 River
12 Jungle
Busy Streets
1 Pushcart
2 Slip-on broken roofing save or fall off
3 Attacked by d4 1=angry birds 2=wasps 3=rats 4=cat
4 Criminals who don't want witnesses
5 Jump to another roof
6 Climb to another roof
7 Balance on a wall or roof
8 Swing on a structure
9 Angry workers
10 Militia chasing criminals
11 Child chimney sweeps having a rest smoking pipe
12 Witches or cultists having ceremony
Docks
1 Crates, barrels and fish nets everywhere
11 Armed sex workers
12 Maritime cultists (its probably fish hybrids)
Sewer
1 Balance on a slippery walkway
2 Weakened walkway
3 Climb a ladder
4 Climb scaffolding
5 Climb through a hole or drain
6 Swim across cistern
8 Flmable stinking gas
9 Pit hidden under sewerage
10 Swarm of rats or giant maggots
11 Criminal gang
12 Bear size mutant rat or worm
Forest
1 Sudden depression or chasm
Beach
1 Sharp coral reef or sargassum
Mountains
1 Climb to a ledge
Desert
Sunday, 6 March 2022
Sad death of Ratty, Gamelog
Post apoc game as a player absents so we played out 6th lv Broken hill campaign characters unused in a while. Basically did lots of consolidating their bases and working on the problem of a rival snack food cult and some saline swamp controlled by a dark force. Loyal follower for some time Ratty was a rat abhuman who had met the adventurers when they arrived in the city and has helped them trade, find scrap and settle in/ He also showed them secret drail and mine tunnels of the broken hill. He would drive their half track in the rubble and mind their camps. Today he died sadly.
So the party followed Rattys advice into the mysterious salt zone (Im running DCC Umerica Damn Tasty and Burger Wars) via underground tunnels.
Early on they found a door cut out and rewelded and as approached an Hisser crock attacked Janx with paralysing tentacles and others rushed in. Ratty scuttled over rubble mounds and tried to backstab the croc and failed. Dozy Galahas android bodyguard got into point blank range with two 9mm SMG and splattered everyone in gore. Lucky it was only a young one.
Giant rats screeched in the distance so the party cut through soor and hid as giant rats ate the crock. Inside was a repair bay with an elevator to the old vacuum continental train line. The door opened as the party rested and a black shiny space suited person with a ray gun came out. They spoke in ancient and offered to let the party through their section.
Passed the strangers after a chat and they disliked the salt present in the area so were happy to help. Exploring a sunken section a hideous fleshy shoggoth mutant horror attacked. It was badly hurt and fled and the party searched. It got inside walls as a liquid flesh mess and followed them awaiting till it healed. Party found way up via a sinkhole into a drain and then as went to surface Ratty was snatched when last in the party. Dozy and his rooster-priest pal jumped down the hole safely and gave chase and fired. When Janx got down his fired two laser pistols cowboy-style killing the horror and Ratty inside it.
Party went on to burn down the rival food car factory and destroyed the body of its diabolic manager sending it back to digital hell. Lots lots of good snappy dialogue and abuse and at one stage there were two devils and most of the party affected by fear. Dozy spent most of the fight in a room holding a doorknob to keep a skeleton away. When the original devil died the other split. Started a grease fire and burned the place down and took a half cleaned truck home.
Levelled up and Dozy called up his AI god at the chicken clone factory and had a backup clone of Ratty grown and his memory from his last download session. So all was well and Ratty only missed a level of experience.
Tuesday, 1 March 2022
Level Title Tiers
In some senses, this is ok and good flavour but a bit overdone. Titles that change culture seem not so great. Titles granted by inheritance or class seem useless or misleading so I want that to be separated form these titles because I want experience-based titles rather than nepotism gained but both systems need to overlap at times. This did not always work so we have some different versions to at least give a choice between earned and given credit.
Tiers of Power Levels
Tier 0 is for zero level characters starting out as greenhorn noobs
Tier 1 is for 1st to 4th level characters seasoned by conflict and adventure
Tier 2 is for 5th to 8th level
Tier 3 is for 9th to 12th level characters are
Tier 4 is for 13th to 16th level
Tier 5 is for 17th to 20h level
Some titles are from the hierarchical organisations may or not be competence-based. I found it hard to remove some of the ideas so tried to offer choices between say official crime guild vs gangs and bandits. Leadership is often expanded with level but I want room for incompetent zero level nobles leading a 4th lv sergeant and other foolish but plausible situations. But frequently titles imply someone is competent. I wanted these characters to have a variety of alignments too.
Possibly declaring you are emperor or king too early might upset the supernatural world and an angel might come to kill. I'm my game at 20th level supernatural beings and demigods facilitate a painful and tragic martyrdom and apotheosis for you if they can.
Professional competency-based titles granted peers within an occupational hierarchy
Giving someone a title before their time causes group schisms, mutinies, coups and worse
It can be done as an acting title and everyone knows it is temporary until a qualified applicant is found or the ruler grows into the roll.
These are not really rules (but sometimes the public act on them anyway).
They are mostly lists of adjectives to describe levels of people through synonyms and for ranks in various hierarchies. Have fun with this don't bludgeon people with it.
Titles could be misleadingly applied to some people inappropriately for all kinds of reasons some of which are outright for deception.
Tiers
0 includes zero level characters
-the vast majority of common humans
-common person-of-arts d4 HP or person-at-arms has d6 HP
-players might choose to start this low for extra low thrill factor
1 includes 1st to 4th Level characters
-character going from risk-taking beginners to competent plunderers
-character infamously dangerous fighter of monsters or armies
3 includes 9th to 12th Level characters
-character obtains land and title to buy their loyalty from the crown
-character renowned for supernatural enemies and travel to other worlds
-character may plunder other worlds and face divine beings on the way to deification
Tiers I am using for some other reasons in gameplay so using them here like this kind of fits with other leveling benefits I have.
Partly from this at first, an upstart adventurer who has become rich and notorious and popular is offered land and title or job to settle them down and make them loyal and take oaths. Not accepting that land or using it makes the giver suspicious and insulted. After a while some adventurer has his plot grow like a goldrush town and more elites and the rulers may grow jealous or fearful of uppity adventurers. So factions against your character form and other factions think you would be a superior king and offer the help out because your 17th level and that guy who inherited the crown is only 7th level. So players have to play good nobles or risk becoming pariahs of those in power which can be tough. So maybe don't build a world wonder and outdo the current ruler too well. When they turn on you in fear you can smash their stuff and take it in retaliation.
0 Butcher - cheap enthusiastic killer
5 Grandmaster Assassin - leader of the assassins guild
0 Desperado - people desperate enough to break law and risk their life
1 Ravager - professional plunderer
2 Marauder - roam the land and take what you please
4 Highway Robber - flamboyant robber lord with grip on royal highways
5 Robber Prince - live like royalty and take what you want
Barbarian Horde
0 Thrall - servile workers who may become free
1 Warrior - wild independent irregular
2 Berserker - fanatic enraged elite maniacs
3 Vanquisher - drives away enemies
2 Vagabond - wander around and make people give you stuff
3 Master Begger - control the beggars of a trade town
Craft Guild
1 Apprentice - student under a master to learn a trade
2 Journeyman - graduate who wanders and works trading their skills
3 Artisan - can operate own famous studio or workshop making royal goods
0 Initiate - new recruits keen for thrills and excitement and power
1 Devotee - ready to spread the faith in secret and do as commanded
2 Zealot - ruthless unquestioning follower of higher ranks commands
3 Occultist - expert in supernatural affairs by close proximity
1 Vexator - rank and file of the cults elite robed kidnappers and guards
1 Agent - discreet and sometimes secretive and resourceful
2 Herald - bear standard of a ruler and represent them
3 Ambassador - visitor to foreign rulers
0 Survivor - someone with experience living in the wild, most don't survive alone
2 Ranger - knows the land and beasts or a significant wilderness and its secret trails
3 Hunt Master - leads important hunts and rituals, master of a lodge
0 Servant - begin early tests and live as a humble servant
1 Squire - assist your master in battle as a trainee knight
2 Knight - knighted by nobility to fight for the kingdom
3 Knight Errant - wandering knight performing quests and protecting a small fief
Mariner Guild
0 Sailor - basic crew of a ship responsible for many unpleasant dangerous chores
2 Seafarer - experienced mariner for travel and war by sea
3 Master Mariner - worked in trade over a vast area
Mercenary Guild
0 Recruit - basic training and guard duty
1 Soldier - professional military on the campaign, seen lots of blood
2 Veteran - career troops for leading invasions with plenty of experience
3 Hero - mighty fighting folk who inspire whole units
1 Shop Keeper - common store owner
2 Dealer - trader in bulk good and trade caravans over a region
3 Master Trader - trader in national and international goods
Monastic Orders
0 Novice - new members learning basics
1 Disciple - accepted as student and formally take vows to ser
2 Adept - senior instructor or shrine tender
3 Master - senior teacher and leader of a small temple
0 Courtier - minor aristocrats mostly living as household and personal servants
1 Squire - assist and groom your master in the courts of important nobility
2 Knight/Dame - knighted for your deeds supporting nobility and crown
3 Lord/Lady - rule a small fief and support your patron nobles
Priest Order
0 Initiate - humble shaved beginner into the holy life
1 Acolyte - manage a small shrine or assist a priest
2 Priest - manage a temple with
3 Bishop - manage a greater temple or region of small temples
Public Notoriety
0 Unknown - you're known by the people you have lived with and a few locals
1 Noted - your name has come up with some impressive deeds sometimes
2 Renowned - your fame is growing and bards sing about you
3 Famous - name level and nobility have heard of you and invited you to court
2 Batchelor of Arts - completed equivalent of 4 years study
3 Master of Arts - completed study and enter a specialisation like law
Sea Raider
0 Thrall - servile workers who may become free
1 Viking - raider on sea raiding vessel
2 Karl - personal retinue and sevant of Jarl
3 Jarl - leader of the local population
2 Mobster - leader of gang chapter over a few blocks
3 Boss - leads your own major city gang
0 Convert - the new member has felt the holy calling
1 Brother/Sister - warrior clerical order soldiers
2 Knight - ranking officer with some responsibility on order
3 Master - command a chapter house of order
2 Beldam (Warlock) - competant witch with own territory and small coven
3 Priestess (Priest) - leader of several covens in area
0 Student - promising literate student being tested
1 Apprentice - serving a master to learn (some become adventurers instead)
2 Adept - a competant graduate able to take students
3 Sage - a great teacher with own tower or teaching post at university
5 Magus - pinacle of power you can do as you please